SHEA GOES UNDEFEATED TO WIN SECOND ROUND OF HER TWO-STOP BATTLE AGAINST FRIEND ON JPNEWT

Well the J. Pechauer Northeast Women's Tour is back on, and it doesn't disappoint with Linda Shea going undefeated to win her second round of two stop battle against Kathy Friend. The event drew 20 players to compete in shortened 2020 tour due to Covid. Thanks goes to the ownership and staff at First Break Bar & Grill, the title sponsor J. Pechauer Custom Cues, and Angle Aim Art, and lastly Turtle Rack. The next tour stop is scheduled for OCt. 10-11 at Eagle Billiards in Dickson City, PA. 

The following is an account of the event matches as reported by Skip Maloney of AZ Billiards. 

Following an opening round bye, Shea sent Christie Hurdel 7-5 and Melissa Jenkins 7-4 to the loss side to draw Carol V. Clark in one of the winners’ side semifinals. April Hatcher, in the meantime, had defeated Rumi Brown 7-4 and then gave up only three total racks in 17 games against Ceci Strain (1) and Teri Thomas (2) to face June Prescop in the other winners’ side semifinal. Prescop was responsible for sending Friend to the loss side 7-5 in a winners’ side quarterfinal.

Shea downed Clark 7-5 and in the hot seat match, faced Hatcher, who’d sent Prescop to the loss side 7-4. Shea prevailed to claim the hot seat 7-3 over Hatcher.

On the loss side, Friend opened her trip back to the finals with a 7-3 win over Lai Li and a 7-2 victory over Melissa Mason to draw Clark. Prescop picked up Melissa Jenkins, who, following her defeat at the hands of Shea, had eliminated Ceci Strain 7-5 and Kassandra Bein 7-3. 

Friend and Prescop advanced to their quarterfinal rematch. Friend defeated Clark 7-5 and Prescop just did survive a double hill fight against Jenkins. Friend prevailed 7-3 in the rematch and then went on to down Hatcher 7-5 in the semifinals.

As might have been expected, Shea and Friend locked up in a tight battle that went double hill. Shea dropped the final 9-ball to claim her second 2020 event title on the tour. The win also solidified Shea’s hold on the #1 spot in the tour standings. With Kia Burwell finishing in the tie for 13^th, Friend’s second-place finish allowed her to move into the #2 spot. Burwell slipped a single place, down to #3, while Lai Li, who finished in the tie for 9^th place, moved down a spot to #4.